Candy Hearts
by Demented Insane Spirit
Summary: The Egyptian recluse, Malik, suppresses his emotions, but finds he’s unable to do so with the feelings he has for Anzu Mazaki. Unable to express them in words, he gives her a candy heart for Valentine’s day. Oneshot.


DIS: I apologize most, MOST deeply for not updating, but dear God, I've had the worst writer's block on my remaining stories, its not even funny. Not to mention, our internet's screwed up and I haven't been able to get to the library lately. So, yeah. But I promised a Valentine story – a Malik/Anzu, at that! Yaaayyy! I haven't written one of these in sooo long! Now, please read below and enjoy!

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_Title: Candy Hearts_

_Rating: T_

_Genre: Romance_

_Summary: The Egyptian recluse, Malik, suppresses his emotions, but finds he's unable to do so with the feelings he has for Anzu Mazaki. Unable to express them in words, he gives her a candy heart for Valentine's day. One-shot._

_Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh._

_Notes/Warnings: Hell, I know this idea's been overused, but I couldn't help it! One-shot; Valentine fic; Malik/Anzu; OOCness_

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_Candy Hearts_

February rolled around in the city of Domino in Japan. The shops were filled with pink, white, and red things of all kinds. Lacey outfits, teddy bears with loving sayings on them, elegant chocolates, floral scented perfume, and a multitude of other gifts. The whole idea of Valentine's Day was blown out of proportion. Many people thought so, a few of the members of Yuugi's group included. Those members being Seto Kaiba (of course,) Jounouchi Katsuya, Malik Ishtar (though he wasn't really a member of their group, along with Kaiba,) and Bakura Ryou (ditto.)

Malik Ishtar, having returned to Domino since his sister had established a permanent position at the museum, was the very image of a sulky teenager. Though he wasn't insane anymore now that his other side had been abolished, and though he was a relatively sane and nice sort of person, he was still surly about returning to Domino and he didn't entirely enjoy Yuugi and his companions. Hell, the only ones he could deal with were Kaiba and Bakura. And hardly even that. Kaiba's dry, sarcastic comments certainly didn't make good company; as for Bakura, he was just twisted. Malik was still surprised Shadii gave him and Atemu a second chance. Either way, it didn't matter to him. Bakura was the only person he had that was close to a friend. The others pretty much ignored him or cast suspicious looks to him. Well...Almost all of them.

Anzu Mazaki, who had been nice to him in any case (until his other side showed up and went maniacal,) always went out of her way to say a few kind words to him every time she saw him. Whenever she asked him questions, he'd simply shrug or grunt out a noncommittal response. Lately, though, Bakura had been getting on his case about conversing with Anzu and she had heard, so she didn't greet him much anymore.

"I'm sick of seeing this revolting color!" Bakura boomed. Malik glanced at him, arching one of his smooth brows. He and Bakura were wandering Domino Square aimlessly, trying to find some source of amusement. So far, they were unsuccessful. And, of course, in the process, their eyes grazed every shop, which was filled with _some_ shade of pink. Malik didn't entirely enjoy looking at it, either.

"Why the hell is there pink stuff around, anyway?" Malik grumbled moodily.

"From what my weak abiou told me," Bakura said with narrowed eyes, "it's some kind of holiday that is for couples or something. I don't know, I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying."

"Do you ever?"

"Touché." Bakura paused at a candy shop and smirked. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and counted his money. Ryou had forced him to get a job with him since Bakura was living with him and his father and sitting around, doing nothing except causing havoc in the neighborhood and at the school. Bakura normally blew all his money a week after pay day (which worked out fine since he got paid every week,) but he had some left over and he was hungry. By the way Malik was eyeing some of the chocolates inside, he suspected his much quieter friend had growling stomach, too. "Do you have any money?"

"I've got five dollars on me," Malik replied, glancing at him. "That has to be enough for a box of chocolates."

"If not, I'll split with you. I have about that same amount."

"Alright." They entered the candy shop and they exchanged tortured looks, seeing that loads of people were searching for a gift for their significant other. Not caring in the least about them and only their stomach, the two Egyptian males snaked their way through the crowds, surveying their choices. "What the _hell_ are these?" Malik asked Bakura, pointing to a miniature box that was filled with small candy hearts of different colors. There was also red print on them.

"Beats me. Are they edible?"

"Don't be an idiot," Malik said, rolling his eyes. "Of course they're edible. We're in a frickin' candy shop."

"They're only thirty cents. Get two boxes." Malik shrugged and got the two boxes. They continued through the store and decided on a large box of chocolates to share. They got in line and when they came and tossed their wares on the counter, the woman beamed at them.

"Oh, how cute! We don't see gay couples often!" She chirped. Malik and Bakura's faces went slack with horror and disgust.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Bakura spat. "We're not gay!"

"Oooh...Are you two shopping together for your girlfriends, then?"

"Stupid bitch," Bakura muttered under his breath while Malik stared at the woman blankly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Sure," he said, just so that she didn't get the impression they were gay. He'd been mistaken for a girl before and he sure as hell wasn't ready for people to point at him and Bakura and giggle like schoolgirls.

"Well, that's very sweet." She smiled pleasantly as she rung up their things. "That'll be eight fifty." Bakura dumped his money in Malik's hand and Malik counted it out, handing it to her. She thanked them and they took their things, muttering darkly, glaring at her over their shoulder.

"Of all the things..." Bakura growled. "Gay! I don't want to get in bed with guys, dammit!" Malik sat on a bench and opened the chocolate, chewing on a chocolate turtle, giving a sound of happiness. "You'd better not eat all of those," Bakura warned, glaring at him. They picked out the good chocolate and the other ones they didn't like they tossed. Finishing off their chocolate, they opened their boxes of candies.

" 'Kiss me'?" Malik read, staring at the heart with a bemused expression.

"No thank you," Bakura politely answered, smirking at Malik's glower. "Mine says, 'You are sweet.'" Bakura snorted. "As if." He popped the candy in his mouth and sucked on it for awhile, before chomping on it. "Yuck."

"What?"

"These are nasty!"

"Hm." Malik shrugged, sucking on a pink one. "I like them." Bakura shoved his box of candies in his hands.

"Then you can have mine."

"Suit yourself." Malik pocketed it and they sat on the bench for a while longer, observing the people passing by. They insulted people they didn't like and criticized everyone else. "I'm going to head home, Bakura."

"I think I am too," the latter answered, yawning. "Ryou forced me to wake up early this morning for no good reason."

"I know the feeling," Malik said, scowling. "Isis wakes me up before eight because she doesn't want me to sleep in 'late.'" The two of them snorted and then bade each other farewell. Malik went one way and Bakura the other. As Malik walked home, he chewed thoughtfully on his candy hearts. He was starting to get full from the box of chocolate and the candies he was eating. He finished the last candies and tossed the box on the ground, burying his hands in his pockets as he sauntered down the street.

"Malik!" A familiar voice called. He paused, turning to see Anzu Mazaki jogging towards him. "Hi! I almost didn't see you."

"I imagine you didn't recognize the back of my head, Mazaki," he said dryly. She laughed, blushing slightly.

"Well, yeah. So! What are you doing out?"

"Going home."

"Yeah?"

"What's in the bags?" He queried, pointing to the bags in her hands.

"Valentine gifts," she explained with a shrug. "I give all my friends something for Valentine's Day." He snorted. "What?" Her brow furrowed.

Anzu couldn't really understand Malik. She never approached him unless she was sure that he was completely alone and Bakura wouldn't pop up and start nagging at Malik about talking to her. She knew that Malik didn't care either way, but she didn't think he'd want to listen to Bakura's nagging constantly, so she decided to do him a favor and avoid situations such as that. And, despite Malik's sullen attitude, she couldn't help but feel a bit attracted to him. Right beside Kaiba, he was at the top in all of his classes and that was odd, since he hung out with Bakura, who was at the bottom in all of his classes. Nonetheless, Anzu felt that if she conversed more with Malik, she might be able to coax him out of his grumpy mood.

"I can't believe you'd degrade yourself like that," Malik told her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"Valentine gifts," he explained shortly, frowning. "This is just a holiday that's meant for the stores."

"Malik, you're too cynical," Anzu informed him. "Valentine's Day is for people who are in love and want to express their love for each other more prominently! This is a special day for couples! Kind of like a second honeymoon for those that are married and a first-kiss kind of moment for those who aren't married." One of Malik's eyebrows rose in silent query. "And you wouldn't feel that way if you knew I had a present for you, too," she continued, ignoring his look.

"A present," he repeated in the blankest voice she had ever heard. Malik's brows furrowed, then he shrugged. "Whatever rocks your boat, Mazaki." She dug in her bag and then came up with a bear. "You're giving me a _teddy bear?_"

"Yeah," Anzu answered brightly, as though it was perfectly normal. "Would you have preferred me to get you roses?" She teased. He snorted, a light smile grazing his lips.

"No thank you. I'd more likely carry a bear home than roses." He took the bear and squeezed it. "Doesn't it do anything like say, 'Hug me'?" She sweat dropped.

"Uh, no."

"Who wants a bear that doesn't say 'Hug me'?" She realized he was joking by the glint of mirth in his eyes. She felt her heart lighten a bit. She rarely saw Malik laugh or smile, though he certainly did smirk when he was around Bakura.

"You take what you get," she said to him, waving a hand impatiently.

"Mazaki, I've got a question for you before I give you _my_ gift." She blinked.

"I thought you didn't like Valentine's Day?" Once again, one of his blonde brows arched upward.

"I should give you a gift in return, don't you think?"

"Well...Yeah..."

"So, answer me, Mazaki, going back to your 'Valentine's Day is like your first kiss' theory...have you ever been kissed?" Anzu stared at him in utter confusion. Her innocent, naïve mind didn't put the pieces together. Then again, she might not have put them together because she could never imagine Malik doing anything out of the ordinary.

"Um...No, actually, I haven't," she admitted in embarrassment. He nodded slowly in a thoughtful way. He looked at the bear in his hands and then back at her. She blinked.

"Hm. Well, then." He leaned down and covered her mouth with his, lingering for a moment. "Now you can say that you can. Thanks for the bear, Mazaki." She gawked at him as he continued down the street, juggling the bear in his hand. She realized her face was hot and ducked her head, hurrying away to where her original destination was.

_I can't believe Malik Ishtar just kissed me! _She thought, her face burning. She paused in her running and a slow smile curled her lips upward. _Then again, it wasn't that bad of a kiss. _Her smile dropped and she flushed darkly. _How can I be thinking that about him? Gah, get your mind out of the gutter, Anzu! _She shook her head, her brown locks fluttering against her pink cheeks. She continued down the walk to the Kame Game Shop, her mouth tingling from the brief kiss from Malik. She sighed to herself and a smile crept its way back onto her mouth.

X

"Malik?" Isis called, stepping into the entrance hall. Since the Ishtar family – or what remained of it – moved to Domino, Isis had been constantly worrying about her little brother. Bakura, however, proved to be good companionship for Malik and there wasn't any conflict among those two and Yuugi's group – that she knew of, that is. And, as she caught sight of her brother and the teddy bear in her hand, she wondered suspiciously what he had been up to. "What in the world are you doing with a teddy bear?"

"This?" Malik questioned, looking at the bear with raised eyebrows as though he hadn't seen it. "...Someone gave it to me as a present. I'm going to take a shower." Isis opened her mouth to ask him more questions, but closed it, seeing an almost content expression on her brother's face. He had been sulking ever since they returned to Domino, so the change was surprising – though not unpleasant.

_Well, he can keep his secrets to himself, then, _Isis decided, returning to the kitchen to cook dinner. _Whatever keeps him happy._

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Malik pushed the glass slider back and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He took another one and rubbed his hair dry. He paused, seeing that he had brought the bear in the bathroom with him. He heaved a sigh and picked it up, surveying it. "Well," he murmured to himself, "I guess I won't throw this away after all." He took it and his dirty clothes, moving to his bedroom and tossing the bear on his bed, snapping the door closed. He dressed in something comfortable and yawned, flopping on his bed. He glared at the bear that was turned towards him. "What are you looking at?"

"Malik!" Isis knocked on the door and frowned, seeing him staring at the bear. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. What do you want?"

"Dinner's almost ready, so get dressed and come down."

"I am dressed."

"In something other then nightwear, Malik," his sister said exasperatedly. He threw up his hands in defeat and after she left, he shoved on some pants and a shirt. He threw a last look to the bear before shutting the door on it and going downstairs to eat.

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"Tomorrow's Valentine's Day," Honda crowed at school the next day. "This is it! I'm finally gonna win a lady's heart!"

"Ha!" Kaiba snorted. "That'll be the day. That's as likely as Katsuya getting a brain."

"Yeah!" Jounouchi agreed, laughing. He paused, a suddenly puzzled look on his face. "Wait a minute..." He whipped around and glared at Kaiba, who was snickering. "You dink you're so smart!"

"Smarter than you, apparently," Kaiba sneered.

"What nimrods," Bakura grumbled, leaning against the wall while Malik sat in his seat, his feet propped up on the desk. He was eating the box of candy hearts he hadn't finished last night. "They all deserve to be sent to the Shadow Realm."

"Pity you can't take on the task yourself," Malik remarked lightly, "as Shadii confiscated your M. Ring."

"I know! That damned turban-headed bastard had no right!" Malik paused, looking at Bakura with a strange expression on his face.

"Bakura, I'm sure that you used to wear a turban at one point."

"So? I can insult myself if I like."

"Whatever rocks your boat," Malik muttered. _I use that phrase too much,_ he decided grimly. He was about to pop a candy heart in his mouth when he saw the words on it.

'I love you'

He frowned, staring at the words for a long time. He turned the candy between his fingers absent-mindedly before he dumped the last small amount of candies in his hand and placed the single candy in the box. He stuffed the box in his pocket and continued to eat the other candies.

"I can't wait until this dreadful holiday's done and over with," Bakura muttered irritably. Malik popped the last candy in his mouth and chewed on it, brushing his hands together. His sentiments were the exact same. He didn't particularly enjoy all the lovey-dovey things that were on TV, not to mention all the pink! It was no surprised that the pink candy hearts were the grossest kind.

"Tomorrow's the last day," Malik told him in a reassuring tone. Bakura grunted, folding his arms across his chest. Malik leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his neck, cradling his head as he closed his eyes for some rest. His mind drifted to the bear that Anzu had given him. He had never been given a gift before, so it struck him a bit powerfully. What was more, he hadn't known he was considered her friend. It was a good feeling, but somehow 'friend' didn't seem the right word for her in his perspective. _That's probably why I kissed the damn girl, _he thought petulantly. _What in Ra's name was I thinking? _He inwardly sighed. He admitted that he had liked the kiss, brief though it was. _Ah, well, at least I got that much from her. _

"If I had known they were going to be this annoying today, I would have skipped," Bakura muttered sullenly. Malik opened an eye and noticed the class was practically jumping around, many of them exchanging Valentine gifts. He opened his other eye when he spotted Anzu looking his way. She blinked and looked away, smiling at Yuugi, though her smile was a bit shaky. _Hmm..._

X

Anzu cursed herself later that day as she was getting ready to leave. _I can't believe myself! One kiss and I go crazy over the guy. I have to get my wits set straight. _Anzu sighed as she opened her small locker. She blinked, seeing an envelope slip to the ground. She picked it up and opened it, seeing two things in it. A piece of paper and a little candy. She opened the paper first, reading the brief note:

_Anzu,_

_So tell me, was the first kiss what you imagine Valentine's Day to be?_

_The other item in this envelope isn't quite accurate, a little over, but it puts forth the same meaning, more or less._

_Have a good Valentine's Day, Mazaki._

_- M.I._

Anzu swallowed and picked up the candy in the envelope and read the words on it. She smiled, tears filling her eyes. "Oh, Malik," she murmured. _That's the sweetest thing anyone's every done for me..._

"Why in Ra's name are you crying?" A harsh voice snapped. She jumped and wiped her tears, turning to see Bakura eyeing her warily. There was a hint of anxiety in his chocolate brown eyes and she knew it wasn't for her, but for his friend.

"It's just...No one's really been so thoughtful." The tension eased out of Bakura's body and he snorted.

"Well, then I'd advise you go see him and say thank you." He smirked and winked, adding, "In a productive way, Mazaki, if you get my meaning." She flushed and then noticed he was holding a piece of paper out. She took it and saw that it was an address. "See you later, Mazaki," he called, flicking his hand in a wave as he strolled from her out of the school. She smiled and tucked the envelope with the candy and note in it in her bag and then changed her shoes before hurrying out of the school.

X

"Malik," Isis sighed, "would you stop brooding? And get your feet off my lap while you're at it." Malik peered at her from the other end of the couch where his head was station.

"No, but it's an excellent suggestion, Isis." She scowled at him. The doorbell rang and he got to his feet, saying, "I'll get it since _you_ scare people away."

"That was just the mailman and he's the one that scared me!" She protested. He shrugged carelessly and went to the door, opening it without looking to see who it was. As soon as the door swung open, he was knocked to the ground by a lush, female body. Isis came hurrying in at the sound of his yelp and the thump that followed. "Malik, are you - ?"

"For Ra sakes!" He bellowed. "Why aren't you on the football team?" Anzu laughed and sat up while Isis watched them with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, but I was just so happy to see you!"

"Someone happy to see my brother? Amazing..." Isis muttered as she left them.

"Not many people enjoy seeing you, either, Isis," he called, glaring after her. He turned back to Anzu, asking, "What are you talking about, anyway?"

"The...the envelope," she explained in a rush. He blinked, then shuffled awkwardly, which was very unlike Malik.

"Oh. That. Well – "

"Malik, that was the most nicest thing anyone's ever done for me! You have no idea how romantic it is!" She blushed prettily as she asked hesitantly, "Did you...really mean what the candy said, Malik?"

"Mostly," he rumbled in embarrassment. "I've only got four people with me, Anzu: Rishid, Isis, Bakura, and you. I suspected you'd be as hostile as your little groupies."

"I don't care what happened in the past, Malik," she told him, smiling. "I like you as you are now. You're a great person." She licked her lips and continued slowly, "Besides, I've been trying to get close to you for awhile. I only wanted to be friends at first, but that kiss kind of changed my mind." He chuckled, smirking.

"Care for me to change your mind a little more?" He suggested mischievously. She laughed as he swept her into a warm embrace.

"I would like that a lot, actually."

_Fin_

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DIS: Well, yes, that was rather OOC and pretty fast, but hell, I needed to condense it a little. It's long enough as is. And, of course, I hadn't edited it, but whatever! Anyway, please review on your way out and tell me how it was. Plleasseee? I'd love it if you did. Ciao!


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